Jake Wise, Mike Benning, Ryan McAllister and Brendan Perlini also scored for Charlotte, which won for the fifth straight time at home. In goal, Ludovic Waeber improved to 2-0-0 on the season.
Just like the previous night’s victory over the Gulls, the Checkers had to battle back to force the extra session, although Perlini’s goal to even the score came much earlier than Lucas Carlsson’s buzzer-beating effort in game one. On a lengthy five-on-three power play early in the third period, the veteran Perlini, who joined the team on a tryout during the second week of the season, finished off a nice passing play with Alexander True and Mackie Samoskevich.
Overtime then became Mayhew’s turn, though this goal was less intentional than his breakaway finish on Friday. This time, his centering feed intended for True hit the outstretched stick of Gulls goalie Alex Stalock and trickled in for the victory.
Prior to the late-game dramatics, the teams had traded goals, with Wise and Benning canceling out tallies that gave the Gulls leads. The Checkers had a lead for all of 33 seconds in the second period when McAllister scored to make it 3-2, but Jacob Perrault quickly tied it on a penalty shot. The Gulls finished the period with a 4-3 lead, setting the stage for another Checkers comeback.
Having swept their four-game home stand, the Checkers now get set for their farthest road trip of the season, a four-game trek through California that will see them play this same Gulls team twice more.
MAYHEW MAYHEM pic.twitter.com/A3pgKRctm6
— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) November 5, 2023
QUOTES
Coach Geordie Kinnear on the weekend“It was two good hockey games. Fun to watch and obviously to coach. A resilient group, again. The second period got away from us a little bit, but mistakes are going to happen and it’s how you respond. I loved the response in the third period.”
Kinnear on battling back again
We go up 3-2 and then the penalty shot and then we give up another one, so the easy thing to do was to take our foot off the gas. The guys in the room there stepped up and dug in for the third. It was a short bench because we lost Kiersted and lost Brind’Amour for a majority of the game, so a resilient group.”
Kinnear on the team’s rookies
We have a lot of them so it’s important that the guys make the most of their opportunities, but I hate singling guys out in a game like that because it was just a total team effort. I’m proud of the guys.
Kinnear on the five-game win streak at home
It’s a wonderful place to play in front of a great group of fans that support you and are into the game every single time. No matter how many people are in the building, it’s loud and they’re engaging, which the guys appreciate. Our number one goal when we come home is that we want to make sure they’re proud of our effort and it’s contagious for sure.”
Gerry Mayhew on if he’s ever scored back-to-back overtime goals anytime in his career
I don’t think so. Lucky enough to do it tonight. I was trying to pass it to Truesy, and I think their guy’s stick hit it in so, lucky, yeah.
Mayhew on if this team is well suited to three-on-three overtime
We’re a small group, so I think we go faster. We hold onto the puck, which is what you need to do in a 3-on-3, and you know the changes were quick which helps get them tired and sure enough we win both games.
Mayhew on battling back once again
We came in after the second and said same position we were in last night. No panic through the guys.
Mayhew on the team’s rookies
They’ve been great. They’re moving their feet, they’re getting to the dirty areas and that’s what coach preaches on, so if they continue to do that they’ll score a lot of goals.
